Help Choosing - RCI Allure or Freedom or NCL Getaway or Escape?

[CruisingMom-2016]

I realize this is NCL forum, so I also posted in RCI forum to get opinions from all sides.

 

Also, I know this says it's my first post - it's just been a long time since I posted and I forgot my password - and since I first joined around 2002 - the email account I used to sign up is no longer active - so, new poster

 

Family of 4 - Me, DH and 2 kids who will be 8 and 6 at the time of cruise. Kids are not overly adventurous (ie, not big fans of heights) - but I really want something that will be good for kids their age.

 

Cruise History - DH and I have been on 3 cruises so far - Carnival Sensation in 2002 (OMG), Mariner of the Seas 2006 and Disney Wonder in 2013.

 

Kids were on the Wonder with us in 2013 and dying to go back - we all loved it - but for cost reasons, looking at other lines for this year. We were really spoiled by the Wonder experience and want to give the kids (and ourselves) another great time.

 

Definitely want a room with a pull down bed so the two kids do not need to share a bed.

 

We've (I've) narrowed it down to 4 options:

 

Freedom - Western (Orlando, Labadee, Falmouth, Grand Cayman, Cozumel). $3670 for a balcony. ($200 OBC)

 

Allure - Eastern (Ft. Lauderdale, Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten) - $3500 for a balcony. ($200 OBC)

 

NCI Getaway - Western (Miami, Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel) - $3036. Includes Beverage Package and 4 specialty meals.

 

NCI Escape - Eastern (Miami, St. Thomas, Tortola, Nassau) - $3200 for Minisuite (basically a balcony room). Includes Beverage Package and 4 specialty meals.

 

These are all for cruises that leave the same weekend. Looking for the best choice for hubby and kids in terms of stateroom, ports and onboard activities (kids clubs, pools and nightly entertainment). One of the great things about Disney was that the kids could also go to the shows every night.

 

Appreciate any and all input!

Edited February 12, 2016 by CruisingMom-2016

[wampuscat7]

I'll be watching this carefully, as we did Oasis in December and are looking at the NCL for this fall/winter.

 

I can say that I was very impressed by the level of entertainment on Oasis (sister ship to the Allure). The ice show and the diving shows were fantastic. My daughter is only a toddler and loved the shows. No one minded her being there at all. I also really liked the incorporation of the DreamWorks characters - meets/photos, parade, etc. (They even have a channel on TV that plays only DreamWorks movies.) My toddler didn't know any of the characters, but I sure did.

 

What kids of things do your kids like to do? For example, are swimming pools/aqua parks important to you?

Edited February 12, 2016 by wampuscat7

[CruisingMom-2016]

What kids of things do your kids like to do? For example, are swimming pools/aqua parks important to you?

 

Good point on the characters! And yes, pools and aqua parks are important - I want the kids to have time to just run around and have fun. We did Disney World last year and had a lot of fun hanging at the pool :)

 

I'm just worried about the size of the Allure. Freedom is actually more $$ than Allure for a balcony, but we could save some $$ and do Ocean View ... (and then I could worry less about kids being on the balcony). Not sure if the Freedom OV rooms have a pull down berth though.

 

The NCL person I spoke to today said that Escape is better than Getaway for smaller kids.

[CruisingMom-2016]

Any more opinions from NCI cruisers? The negative reviews / discussion of segregated spaces is worrying me - really looking for some

more input on Getaway and Esacpe - especially for kids.

 

Thanks!

[helpmecruise16]

We just sailed on the Getaway with our three kids (11, 9, 6) in January.

We were deciding between Disney, oasis, and getaway. We showed kids you tube videos of all three ships and we voted and getaway won. Which worked well for us because for the same price as one room on Disney, we got two adjoining balcony cabins on getaway.

 

We were on the 13th floor, starboard, aft (very close to to stairs). Location was perfect - two flights up and we were right in the action!

 

The kids had a blast and can't wait to go back. They played on the sports courts every day. They enjoyed the pool and water slides. My 11 and 6 year old are normally afraid of heights but had no problems doing the ropes course and rock wall. The six year old had to do the kids version of the ropes course so it was just the lower level for him. All three liked the trampoline bounce and the little one liked the climbing thing with the slide. We played mini golf a few times.

 

The biggest problem we had was that they all wanted to do everything all the time! By the end, we had no problems with me and DH finding deck chairs and letting them play on sports court, ropes course, etc and check in with us throughout the day.

 

They loved the shows - we saw burn the floor, illusionarium, and the comedy show. My 9 year old was a little embarrassed at some parts of burn the floor, but nothing too bad. I think the comedy show was their favorite.

 

We also participated in many of the atrium shows and activities. My 11 year old especially liked those.

 

The staff was great with the kids - my youngest is very outgoing and by the end of the cruise, everyone was greeting him by name. One of the officers invited us to the ice bar party because they lived the kids so much!

 

The food was good - we didn't do any specialty dining. We generally did the buffet for breakfast and lunch and the mdr for dinner (taste, Tropicana, noodle bar, o'sheehans). We never had to wait at any restaurant. If the kids were hungry in between, they went to the buffet for a snack.

 

We did the cruise critic meet and greet and one of the officers gave the kids a card for free Carlos cakes and gelato all week so they enjoyed that.

 

The ports were good - we booked our own excursions and had a blast. We had done a lot of research on that.

 

I would highly recommend getaway with kids! Any questions, feel free to ask!

Edited February 13, 2016 by helpmecruise16

[helpmecruise16]

I should add that my kids are huge water kids and although the pool wasn't big, they had fun and enough to water activities to do between the pool, slides, and splash park.

 

They only did the kids club once - I think they would have done it more but the way the ages were divided didn't work with our age kids - normally, my 9 and 11 year old hang out more but the kids club was age 6-9 so the older two were separated and they weren't crazy about that.

[CruisingMom-2016]

Thanks so much, helpmecruise!

 

Really helpful! But difficult too - I was leaning towards FOS and now I'm back on the fence :-)

 

My kids will be almost 9 (2 months shy) - and just turned 6, so similar ages to yours. How big are the water slides? I need something smaller for my two. My little one will probably be just about the height to do most things.

 

School will still be in session, so I'm hoping not too crazy crowded.

 

Did you do the Same Western itinerary?

 

I like the idea of showing the kids the choices and having them involved, but we really want to surprise them.

 

Dream works is another plus for RCI. Costs are close enough (we would do an OV for $2700 on Freedom) - that I am totally torn!

[aklarsen]

I have done both the Oasis and the Escape. While the value you get with the drink package and dining is great with Norwegian, the shows where not kid friendly. The kids loved the water slides on the Eacape, but the family pool was small and not a great selection of chairs in the sun near the pool.

 

I loved the shows with Royal and would find that kids would enjoy them as well. I felt there were better options for chairs around the pools too.

 

I also enjoyed the Dreamworks characters on Royal Caribbean.

 

Lastly, on the Oasis I never felt like I was on a ship with 4000+ passengers, however I can't say the same for the Escape.

[CruisingMom-2016]

I have done both the Oasis and the Escape. While the value you get with the drink package and dining is great with Norwegian, the shows where not kid friendly. The kids loved the water slides on the Eacape, but the family pool was small and not a great selection of chairs in the sun near the pool.

 

I loved the shows with Royal and would find that kids would enjoy them as well. I felt there were better options for chairs around the pools too.

 

I also enjoyed the Dreamworks characters on Royal Caribbean.

 

Lastly, on the Oasis I never felt like I was on a ship with 4000+ passengers, however I can't say the same for the Escape.

 

Really helpful, thank you!

 

What about between Allure (like oasis) and Freedom (no diving show)?

[Kfamilycruise]

Thanks so much, helpmecruise!

 

Really helpful! But difficult too - I was leaning towards FOS and now I'm back on the fence :-)

 

My kids will be almost 9 (2 months shy) - and just turned 6, so similar ages to yours. How big are the water slides? I need something smaller for my two. My little one will probably be just about the height to do most things.

 

School will still be in session, so I'm hoping not too crazy crowded.

 

Did you do the Same Western itinerary?

 

I like the idea of showing the kids the choices and having them involved, but we really want to surprise them.

 

Dream works is another plus for RCI. Costs are close enough (we would do an OV for $2700 on Freedom) - that I am totally torn!

 

My six year old LOVED the Getaway this past June. He went on the slides over and over again, the spider web net thing and the ropes course as many times as he could. He did the kids club, but not as much as our 11 and 12 year olds. All three of our boys had a fantastic time on the Getaway and deem it much better than the Oasis -- probably because of the amazing slides and all of the things to do.

 

Good luck!

[helpmecruise16]

We went while school was in session too and didn't feel like there were a lot of kids. Although I heard that the same sailing the previous year had tons of kids so it's all relative I guess :-).

 

My older two weren't intimidated by the slides - they are fairly big. My younger one was at first, until he went and then loved it. There are little tiny slides in the splash area, but I think those are more for suited to toddlers.

 

We did Ocho Rios, Cozumel, grand Cayman, and the private island (which we didn't end up going to due to high winds so we had three at-sea days).

 

I don't have anything to compare as far as the feel of the ship with the crowds - we didn't wait for meals and had no problem with deck chairs when we wanted them, but the seating. Around the kiddie pool is limited and the seats they had didn't provide a great view

[aklarsen]

I think you couldn't go wrong with the freedom either. Similar to the allure, with less people. Yes, not all the same shows, but still some great options.

[Timbek2]

We did the allure western itinerary with our three kids 9,12,15. We did boardwalk balconies connecting rooms and had a blast! I highly recommend it. Youngest enjoyed the pools. Boys enjoyed the flow rider a lot. Main dining food was great. Treated the kids like royalty. Enjoy whatever you choose!

[cmstl97]

I have done both the Oasis and the Escape. While the value you get with the drink package and dining is great with Norwegian, the shows where not kid friendly. The kids loved the water slides on the Eacape, but the family pool was small and not a great selection of chairs in the sun near the pool.

 

Lastly, on the Oasis I never felt like I was on a ship with 4000+ passengers, however I can't say the same for the Escape.

 

It seemed to me the kids pool area on Escape was purposely designed in a way that if you are watching your kids swim at all, you're forced to be basically right at the edge of the pool rather than a lounger 100ft away while paying no attention. Not a bad thing IMO.

 

Totally agree on the crowding. Liberty (same as Freedom) never felt crowded to us. Escape was the total opposite.

[gunther619]

I have not been on any of these ships, so I guess I'm probably not as helpful as others...BUT I just booked the getaway. I was trying to decide between an oasis class ship, freedom of the seas and the Getaway. I have been eyeing these cruises for a while, and had a spread sheet with all the prices. At the end of the day we went with the Getaway. It was much less in price and also included a lot more. From what I've read, the children programs were similar too....and hey, it's a brand new ship :-)

[chery4lbooks]

When you get down to 2 ships, also use ports to decide. What do you want to do on land can help with your decision!

[Cruise a holic]

My vote would be first for the Allure of the Seas, then the Freedom and last the NCL. Look at member reviews in cruise critic for people who have sailed on all three for ratings and opinions. If however, you are Sailing in the Haven on NCL, I would move them up to one. The regular NCL passengers have to deal with horrible crowding, especially during peak season. Entertainment and service is much better on RC, especially the Allure.

 

Enjoy your cruise

[remharri]

I'm a huge fan of RCL and their Oasis class ships. They are so large, there is space everywhere and it never seemed crowded, especially on the pool deck! There were so many lounge chairs and pools/jacuzzis that I never had a hard time finding a spot, which was very nice. The shows on the both the Oasis and Allure were amazing, the best I've ever seen.

 

With that being said, I've only sailed NCL once, on the Epic, and didn't like them at first as I felt nickled and dimed to death! After being home a few months and thinking it over again, I realized it wasn't all bad. The ship, while not my favorite, was pretty nice. I loved the Howl at the Moon at night and I loved the "extras" that were being thrown in. With that being said, I booked the Escape in a balcony guarantee and was pleasantly surprised when I received a mini-suite, though there isn't much difference between it and a regular balcony.

 

In the end, if I have to choose a cruise for it's ship, the Allure would win. If I had to choose for "extras" NCL would win, or even Celebrity, as I just booked a cruise on Celebrity for their low deposits and their "extras". But, EVERYONE should experience the Oasis or Allure, the ships are amazing and just so beautiful. It truly is a great experience and a great time!

[Rufferto]

Have you looked at ships leaving from NY / NJ ? You mentions cost as a factor. Might be easier on the budget to pay for parking instead of airfare?

[lor74]

I have been on the Allure & the Getaway. I do not have children. IMO, you should go on the Allure. There is more to do (for young people) and more room to do it in.

Edited February 17, 2016 by lor74

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I have not been on all these ships but my experience on Allure (& Oasis) is your kids and the adults would have an awesome time. There is so much to do and the fact that they have so many passengers (handles the crowd the best) there will be more kids too.

 

DreamWorks characters: meet & greets with them, the parade on the promenade, the DreamWorks shows in the Aquatheater, etc

 

Aquatheater shows are really great. Get a boardwalk balcony & watch the shows from your balcony plus movies play from the aquatheater at night. You can watch zipline & rock climbing walls from your balcony also.

 

They have ice skating, a nice waterpark for the kids, lots of pools, so many options for eating plus the shows are awesome. This ship handles 4000 people so easily that the only time you feel crowded is on embarkation & debarkation and even that isn't any worse than any other ship. Also, their balcony cabin will be larger than NCL. Just my two cents.

 

Oh and on the itinerary, I think they would like St Maarten going to Maho beach and watching the planes land over their heads. I go there every time I visit.

Edited February 17, 2016 by AZ Karaoke Girl

[SuiteTraveler]

I was on Allure last March and the shows are ideal for families - high diving, ice skating, acrobatics, a musical and so forth. If your kids love going to shows, then I think Allure is the BEST there is for family entertainment.

 

I love Getaway and Escape, but except for Burn the Floor the shows are not family friendly at all.

[Mouse's Shadow]

I've been on Allure, Freedom, and Escape. I think Allure is your best option. Your kids will love the Dream Works characters. RCI has taken a page from Disney, and incorporated the characters into shows, breakfasts and meet and greets. On the Escape the kids pool is 5ft deep. I heard several parents complaining about the depth. And the sun deck is very cramped compared to Freedom and Allure. Our friends that traveled with us, had an 11 and 14 year olds, loved the slides on Escape. They also loved the pools and zip line on Allure. The beach at Labadee makes for a wonderful family beach day. Because it is a RCI private beach, all your food and drink are included for the day. Overall, I would recommend Allure, Freedom and Escape in that order.

[eynsteinp]

I tend to favor NCL over other lines so I may be biased but I think this comes down to whether the waterslides are important to your children or not. I know my son (not so important to my daughter) absolutely loves waterslides and the getaway and escape both have very good waterslides. If they are not important then I think it's a matter of price and benefits your receiving versus the shows on Royal which as a whole I think may be more kid friendly. I do think both Royal and NCL offer similar activities in general and the kids will love both lines so you really can't lose wither way.

[RCmommy]

Just off the Allure in December with our two kids. We are easy going people and make the best out of everything.

 

Someone posted above that the Allure easily handles 4000 passengers. Well on our sailing, there were 6300 and there were definitely crowds. The line to get into the MDR without a reservation every night was at least 30 people deep. I could go on and on about why is it our least favourite cruise but it is all a matter of opinion. We still enjoyed ourselves and the Allure is indeed beautiful. Yes, we had reservations so never waited in that line but we heard grumbles all the time from other passengers.

 

Not long after our last cruise I started thinking about where to go next. I spoke with the family to get feedback (my kids are 12, boy/girl) Everyone said they would prefer to sail Carnival or NCL again before RCI. We are booked on the Escape for next December. The Escape is not getting the greatest of reviews right now (again all a matter of opinion) but the ship has everything our family looks for so we will give it a shot. I would put emphasis on what your family wants/needs/wishes for and take it from there, don't base it on what others say so much because everyone is looking for something different.

Edited February 18, 2016 by RCmommy